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Trupanion (NYSE: TRUP) is a self underwritten pet insurance company based in Seattle, Washington that sells pet insurance for dogs and cats. Founded in Canada, the company expanded into the United States and Puerto Rico in 2005. Trupanion offers policies that cover your pet if they get sick or injured, and also covers additional items like prescription pet foods, orthotic devices, and carts.

How is Trupanion rated?

Breakdown

10/10

Coverage

10/10

Benefit Limits

10/10

Deductibles

10/10

Reimbursement

9/10

Claims and Service

9/10

Pricing

9/10

Enrollment

Overall Rating: 9.6 / 10 (Excellent)

Trupanion has comprehensive coverage and a great reputation, scoring an excellent rating on TrustPilot and a an A+ grade with the BBB. However, although unlimited per-incident lifetime coverage is a great perk, it can be far more coverage, and consequently far more expensive to someone who simply doesn't need it. And that highlights the main issue with Trupanion, inflexibility. They have only one plan, one benefit limit, and one high reimbursement percentage. This does not give consumers the opportunity to "adjust the knobs" and change the cost of their monthly premium.

Trupanion Coverage

Coverage - 10 / 10

Trupanion offers quite comprehensive coverage that even covers prescriptions and prescription foods. As with most plans, the company will not cover preventative care, taxes, exam fees, or pre-existing conditions. Trupanion also additional "owner assistance" coverage. This package includes third-party damage, trip cancellation, advertising and reward, alternative therapies, and breeding dog protection. Though some of our better featured pet insurance companies, for example, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance or Petplan Insurance, provide these services standard, they are only available through Trupanion at extra cost.

Pets Covered

Dogs

Cats

Coverage Types

Medical

Vet Selection

Unrestricted

Out-of-State Coverage

Commercial Pets Covered

Medical Conditions Covered

Accidental

Illness

Hereditary

Congenital

Cancer

Chronic

Accidental Dental

Dental Illness

Medical Treatments Covered

Diagnostic Testing

Surgery

Hospitalization

Prescription Medications

Emergency Care

Specialty Care

Alternative Care

Behavioral Therapy

Prosthetics & Mobility Aids

Benefit Limits

Benefit Limits - 10 / 10

Trupanion offers no limits on benefits of any kind, per-incident, annual, or lifetime. While this is indeed a great feature for peace of mind, again, it might suit a particular customer's situation to not have unlimited coverage. For example, someone might know from past experience or the vets in their area that there will be a rock solid limit to what they will possibly spend in a year. Other companies might offer a benefit limit in line with this, and as a result a much lower monthly premium. Having the option is always a good thing.

Benefit Limit Types

Unlimited

Reimbursement & Deductibles

Reimbursement - 10 / 10

Unlike other companies, Trupanion does not allow you to choose a reimbursement percentage. They only offer 90%. While this is a generous reimbursement, it limits the client's flexibility in customizing their premium. It might more suit a customer's particular pet situation to have a lower reimbursement percentage and lower monthly premium.

Reimbursement Model

Actual Cost

Minimum Percent Reimbursement

90%

Maximum Percent Reimbursement

90%

Deductibles - 10 / 10

Trupanion sets itself apart from the pack by offering a per incident lifetime deductible. This means that your deductible will not reset annually. For a given condition, once you pay your deductible, you can receive unlimited benefits for the rest of the pet's life. Among Trupanion's deductible choices is a $0 deductible, which most plans do not offer.

Deductible Type

Annual

Minimum Deductible Offered

$0

Maximum Deductible Offered

$0

Pricing: How much does Trupanion cost?

Pricing - 9 / 10

Trupanion's premiums are definitely on the high end of the spectrum. Although the coverage is quite comprehensive, similar coverages are available for up to $20 less a month.

Starting Monthly Premiums

Enrollment & Waiting Periods

Enrollment - 9 / 10

Pets are eligible to enroll from 8 weeks to 14 years old. Trupanion has a 5 day waiting period for accidents and a 30 day waiting period for illnesses. As opposed to other plans, Trupanion does not have any malady specific waiting periods for things like dysplasia and cruciate ligaments.

Min Enrollment Age

0 weeks

Max Enrollment Age

13 years

Accident Waiting Period

5 days

Illnesses Waiting Period

30 days

Free Look Period

30 days

Claims & Service

Claims and Service - 9 / 10

Trupanion says claims will be fulfilled within 60 days. Although, this is twice as long as some of our other carriers you must keep in mind Trupanion is one of the few pet insurance providers who have the capacity and technology to pay your vet or hospital directly. This is a huge deal as, unlike most other plans, with Trupanion you never have out of pocket expenses. The company requires you to download the claim form via online portal, then submit it by email, mail, or fax.

Trupanion hasn’t garnered as many customer comments as some of their competitors. However, those people who do comment have a generally positive experience. They frequently mention how quickly the company pays claims, how easy it is to submit paperwork, and the caring attitude of the customer service staff. However, a minority of customers complain about the annual and per-condition deductibles, the high premiums, and the company’s application of its pre-existing condition exclusion.

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Customer Comments

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J

Jen H

Johnstown, Colorado

3/1/2015

NEVER NEVER USE TRUPANION!! As previous reviews have stated, you pay your premiums and get absolutely no service whatsoever. They will never cover anything for your dog, and find EVERYTHING that points toward a 'pre-existing condition. READ THE FINE PRINT! They can use any OBSERVATION made by a pet owner even 18 months prior to any vet appointment or official diagnosis. I filed a complaint with the BBB and Trupanion hides behind their policies and gave this pathetic reponse (in part) to my stating they extorted money from us only to never pay anything for our dogs finally diagnosed condition... "We understand how heartbreaking it can be to receive an ineligible claim when your... Read More

I had Trupanion for a couple months, I was waiting for the Medical Review since my dog has preexisting conditions and wanted to know how they would handle them ( limited time exclusions or life time ). Trupanion never completed the Review but kept contacting my Vet for more information, even after the waiting period ended. They never would tell me how the exclusions would be handled. I decided to cancel instead of keep paying premiums, with no expectations being reimbursed. Might be OK for a pet with no preexisting conditions.

horrible, do not use them, I have a german shp pup, he had a small sprain in leg from playing with my husky, he is in perfect health yet they are trying to say that the sprain can be a cause hip displacia in the future. in other words they would like me to pay them and roll the dice that he is covered in the future. they also promised they would contact me about any pre existing injuries within the 1st month so i can canel for full refund, the contacted me literally 1 day over ther month grace period. HORRIBLE RIP OFF

Liston in their customer service department was awesome. He explained everything clearly and went way above the call of duty to help. I am so glad that I cam back to Trupanion, No gimmicks or hidden fees. Straight forward so you really do know what you are paying for and what is and is not covered. How good is that?
Thank you Liston!
Jerry

My boy, "Mr. Pipes," has been through hell these last few years. He's had his gall bladder removed, several bouts of pancreatitis, a stroke, an inflamed liver, tumor biopsies and more. Our total vet bills have easily topped $20k. Trupanion has covered 90% (excepting exam fees) with absolutely NO hassle. They even directly deposit the funds into my checking account within 2 weeks of submitting the claims. I'm impressed beyond belief. It honestly seems too good to be true, but it is.